NSCDC arrests five over alleged dead-cattle meat sale in Yobe

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Yobe State has arrested five people over the alleged purchase and processing of dead cattle for human consumption.

The suspects were arrested in the New Jerusalem area of Damaturu after an intelligence-led operation, according to reports from Vanguard and Daily Post.

The command named a 42-year-old woman, Nancy Benedict, among the suspects. Its spokesperson, Bala Garba, said operatives placed her under discreet surveillance for two weeks before the arrest.

Garba said officers allegedly saw the woman purchasing two cattle carcasses for N100,000, with the intention of processing the meat for human consumption. He said the five suspects were in custody while investigators checked the source of the cattle, how they died and whether any meat had already been supplied to other people.

The case raises food-safety concerns in Damaturu because the allegation involves dead animals being prepared for sale rather than properly disposed of.

Sources: Vanguard, Daily Post